THE CLEVER LITTLE WITCH

A little pink suitcase spells mischief for an adventurous young witch.

Lizzy lives in a cozy tree house with her devoted striped cat. She's just about ready for bed when a "CLUNK! PLUNK!" outside piques her curiosity. In front of her door she finds a shiny pink suitcase. She brings it in and tries to open it with a nifty spell. Instead, everything in her house—oven door, cabinets, cake tin—flies open; the suitcase remains firmly locked. Lizzy sets out on her broom to the Witch Hospital to unravel this mystery. She shows the suitcase to the Witch Doctor, but when she repeats her spell, everything in the hospital room goes flying. (Page flaps give readers two views of the room, before and after.) A visit to the Witch Train Station yields a similar result. Lizzy flies to an open field and, with her cat, thinks and thinks. What if she tries a spell to keep the case firmly closed? This proves to be the magic touch, leading to more flap surprises for readers and an invitation to Witch School, where Clever Lizzy can now hone her craft. Baeten's magical adventure has a bit of savvy; it's whimsical without being cloying. Fossey's attractive illustrations seem bathed in moonlight, and the flaps and a variety of page layouts add more appeal.

Beguiling.